I squid you not: The giant squid statue, seen here in Noto, Ishikawa prefecture, cost ¥25mil. Local authorities said it was part of a ‘long-term strategy’ to boost the town’s tourism sector. — Reuters
TOKYO: A Japanese costal town in the western part of the country has drawn ire on social media for using some of the coronavirus relief funds it was given by the government to build a statue of a giant squid in the hopes of boosting tourism.
The town of Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture was awarded ¥800mil (RM30mil) in grants from the central government as part of an aid programme aimed at boosting local economies amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to domestic media.
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